ARC 4: ETERNAL CONTRACT PHASE 3 (PHASE INCOMPLETE)

CHAPTER 53: OVERLAPPING INQUIRIES

The scene shifts from outside the tomb to Lewes' house, where the squad has their post-TRIAL chat.
The flow of the conversation is effectively the same as previous loops, with Emilia stating she
failed the TRIAL but has no intention of giving up.

Emilia zipped her lip when it got to discussing the details of the TRIAL, where Ram then intervened
and dissolved the meeting, giving Emilia's physical condition as the reason. Garfiel, Lewes, and
Otto left, leaving only Emilia, Subaru, and Ram in the house.

Ram: Now, I would like to wait upon Emilia-sama as she goes to rest. Barusu, does your
unrequired self need to be told of it to realise such?

Subaru: Thanks for that not-indirect indirect statement. Considering Emilia's physical state, I
definitely would like to let you do your job, but... I want some time. Could you leave me and Emilia
alone for a bit?

Ram: Filthy.

Subaru: For immediately coming up with that you're the filthy one!

Repulsion arises in Ram's eyes, blocking her ears at Subaru's yelling with an expression of feigned
ignorance. She glances at Emilia, who is sitting on the bed.

Ram: How would you like to proceed, Emilia-sama? If you would prefer not to parley with
Barusu, I would be willing to make him retreat.

Subaru: What's your deal? Kindhearted and compassionate Emilia-tan couldn't possibly reject me.
Right?

Emilia: I'm sooo exhausted tonight, so if it's one of our usual natters I kinda might want to say
no...

Subaru: Who says natters anymore? ...And that's not what I want to do right now. Me flirting with
you's gonna be on a different opportunity, Emilia-tan. Right now I just wanna talk a little about the
tomb.

Emilia's expression is poor even through their usual little dialogue, but once Subaru alludes to the
TRIAL, Emilia shuts her eyes before urging Ram out of the room with a glance and a 'sorry'.
Ram silently obeys, giving a bow and heading for the room's exit. As she passes by Subaru, she
whispers,

Ram: Refrain from talks that would burden her too much.

Ram clicks the door shut after that stern order, leaving Subaru and Emilia behind in the room.
Emilia looks earnestly up at Subaru from her seat on the bed, Subaru gives a light shrug.

Subaru: We could only do a brief check back inside the tomb, but is your body truly feeling all
normal? Considering how weird a place it is, yeah I'm gonna be worried.
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Emilia: That's, all okay. Mm, thank you. I really don't think there was any strange meddling to my
head or body. And if we're going to be worried about this, shouldn't we be more worried about
you?

Subaru: Meening?

Emilia: No 'meening's. Subaru, I'm glad you went inside the tomb because I wasn't coming out, but
something must've happened to you while you were in there. It took almost thirty minutes from
when you went in to when you came out with me, Ram said.

Subaru internally pokes out his tongue at Emilia's criticising gaze. Back in the tomb he had
bullshitted this away off the momentum, but seems like Ram's unneeded declarations have made
Emilia notice the oddness. Her face stiffens as she imagines what could have happened over the
missing time.

Back in the first loop, the thought that Subaru might have known the content of her TRIAL terribly
put her out of sorts. It's easy to imagine that, if she reaches the same conclusion here, she'll lose her
present composure.

Emilia: Subaru, did you maybe... inside, with the TRIAL too...

Subaru: No, didn't. If it just flung you into the TRIAL no matter whatever pow pow pow that'd be
way too indiscriminate. What ate time was me waking you up, Emilia.

Emilia: Waking me?

Subaru: Yes. It looked like a nightmare so I frantically tried to wake you, but it was almost like
you were tied into the dream with how stubbornly you were sleeping. I thought about just bringing
you out like that, but the bad feeling I got was crazy.

Emilia has no methods to verify whether Subaru's charade, accompanied by charades, is true or not.

Emilia: Then... right. I'm sorry, for that weird doubt.

Subaru: It's all fine. If I could've taken the TRIAL too, I mighta gotten the whole story together with
you Emilia-tan assisted and given it the one-two until clear.

Emilia: ...I don't know. We might not necessarily have seen the same thing...

Her sentence ending is weak, but doesn't look like she's probing into Subaru's lies.
Emilia doesn't want people to know she saw her past, and was unable to conquer it. If Subaru
stresses that he doesn't know the content of the TRIAL, her mental state may lead her to want to
believe it.

Emilia: Anyway, what is the talk about? That couldn't have been the main topic, right?

Subaru: Right. That's not the main topic. So there's something I wanna ask.

Emilia: You want to ask?

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Emilia tilts her head.

Subaru: Yeah, wanna ask.

Subaru: Puck hasn't been showing up for a while... is he still not responding?

Emilia: Ri, ght... no. Puck still isn't responding. I've kept calling him, but it's like he's sleeping in
the crystal.

Emilia lowers her eyes, and reaches for the beautiful green crystal at her breast. Its glimmer appears
to be lost.

Subaru: No ideas on what the cause is?

Emilia: There's been some times like this where my voice wouldn't reach him, but he'd always
come back in two or three days. It's already been almost a week this time... I'm a little worried.

When the Sizeable Hare attacks SANCTUARY, what likely happens is it consumes all the residents
with none to spare. The victims would include Garfiel and Ram, and probably Roswaal too. Emilia
would naturally be part of the count.

The sensation of being shredded, devoured, pieces of yourself transforming into chunks of meat
settled inside another creature's stomachjust imagining that Emilia and the others experienced
this feeling makes Subaru's guts seethe with rage and sorrow.
Putting aside the fury for now, what Subaru considers here is the useless spirit which didn't show up
even when Emilia was being harmed.

Last loop when the witch took over her body was the same case. Once again the Great and Mighty
Spirit offered absolutely zero help.
All words no action, lip service, entirely talk, peaking here.

Subaru: His only big contributions've been the Elsa fight and the Sapporo Snow Festival ft. me.
Unreliable... 'd be the safe way to think.

Putting his hand to his chin, Subaru says mean things about Puck while he forces himself to think.
The calamity coming for SANCTUARY was synonymous with Emilia being in imminent danger.
Garfiel and Roswaal can't counter it alone, so Subaru had thought to add some suitable combat
strength, but doesn't seem like Puck's going to be it.

Subaru: Guess there's no ideas on how to call back Puck. If he could come back lots of things'd
make progress.

Emilia: . I don't, really have any ideas, I guess.

Emilia gives the expected reply, but the second of hesitation tugs at Subaru. Though, before he can
ask about it,

Emilia: What do you want to talk about with Puck?

Subaru: Hm? Ah, right, so that's a witch's tomb, and it's been there for 400 years. I'm wondering if
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talking to a guy who knows stuff about that time might give us a bit of a breakthrough.

Subaru gives his readied-beforehand reply, to which Emilia agrees and nods. She seriously
considers over Subaru's suggestion.

Emilia: Right, yes. Puck just, might know something... Mm, got it. I'll try calling him lots more
than usual.

Subaru: Okey. I've got my expectations for you on that, Emilia-tan.

Emilia's willing to do the TRIAL, and doesn't think Subaru's taken it. There should be no drops in her
motivation here.
Seems unlikely Puck will be having his time in the limelight this loop. Considering that he hasn't
lent any help to mediate the difficulty level for Subaru, and the bad impression left from their last
conversation, Subaru's feelings about Puck have entirely worsened.

Subaru: So, no good in staying too long, and Ram's getting weird suspicions which I think'll give
her more reasons to bully me and so I'll be leaving. Though, if you wanna sleep together Emilia-
tan...

Emilia: But I don't want to sleep together?

Subaru: Hit with such a sincere comeback, and even I... can only say 'wooahh'.

Giving a wry smile to a mystified Emilia, Subaru heads for the door.
Either way, this conversation was probably the one he ought to lay down in advance. There aren't
many ways Subaru could approach the problem of Emilia herself.
What Subaru can do is craft an environment where Emilia's devoted to the TRIAL, while he breaks
through the bad circumstances surrounding it.

Emilia challenges the tomb, and Subaru challenges SANCTUARY.

Subaru can't let Emilia sense the trouble going on on Subaru's end. It would increase the burden on
her.

Subaru: Well, goodnight, Emilia-tan. If you have scary dreams, you're always welcome to come
fleeing to my side.

Emilia: If I'm intruding all the way to your side, I'm going to shock all the villagers. ...You know,
Subaru,

Subaru: Hm?

Just before Subaru leaves, Emilia stops him with a call of his name. He turns back, his hand on the
door, to see Emilia's lips trembling and hesitation in her eyes.

Emilia: No, nevermind. Have a good night. Take care.

Subaru: That last part's really not a joke. 'Night.

Waving, Subaru burns Emilia's smile into his memory as he leaves the room. He closes the door
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behind him and raises his head, to find Ram seated in the lounge adjacent the bedroom, having a
steaming cup of tea.
The landlord Lewes had vacated the house out of consideration, and here was this maid arrogant as
ever. Subaru smiles wryly.

Subaru: Sorry for making you wait... is what I thought I was gonna say, but seeing you all relaxed
makes me not want to say it.

Ram: I would like some proper acknowledgement of my modesty in not touching the teacakes.
You suffered Emilia-sama no impoliteness, correct?

Subaru: What an idiotic thing to ask me, who's always thinking of Emilia first. How about you
don't give Emilia any weird things to worry about. ...Though, I do trust you there.

How Ram acts toward Subaru how Ram behaves toward Emilia.
Ram might have somewhat vicious ways of doing things, but it's essentially exactly because of how
refreshingly clear-cut her solutions are that Subaru can trust her.
Ram smiles at Subaru's mutter, empties her cup, and stands from her chair. She goes to pass Subaru
by and enter the bedroom when,

Subaru: Actually, can I have a minute with you too?

Ram: Filthy.

Subaru: Is the me inside you really such an indiscriminate beast?

Ram hugs herself as she takes distance from Subaru. Of course she's not being serious, but it still
hurts to have the fairer sex react like that.

Subaru: Saying this's something, but my perspective in viewing you's basically never been filthy.

Ram: Basically, is the opening where your bestiality slips out and damages your credibility. And
I've been feeling something strange in your gaze ever since you arrived in SANCTUARY.

Subaru: Hell is that. That is a false accusation outside my recollections, sure you're not just being
overly self-conscious?

Ram: Then it's unconscious. You surely have had a strange, distant gaze while looking at me
before. Although I don't know who it is you're looking at through me.

That was a blow to Subaru's thoughts from a completely unattended angle.

Experiencing the false sensation of getting a good whack, Subaru is aware his thoughts have frozen.
His expression stiffens, his eyes water. Resenting that he reacted this way, he gives a shrug in an
attempt at an immediate recovery.

Subaru: Wh-what you could perhaps be referring to would not be any such thing I may have any
estimation of in the slightest.

Ram: Noticing it after being informed truly makes it abnormal. Although since it wasn't an
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unpleasant gaze, I hadn't mentioned it.

Ram gives a little sigh at Subaru's discomposure.

That she isn't mocking Subaru like always conversely makes it painful.
Their appearances are nearly identical but their insides are completely different. Subaru was
supposed to have recognized that, but wound up being gentle with Ram, coinciding her with the
sleeping girl.
Ram's statement is correct. Subaru has been seeing the visage of a girl nearly her double through
Ram. He couldn't help it.
And Ram is who made him realise it.

Ram: ...So, is there anything you want to ask me?

Subaru: Weuh?

Ram: It wasn't particularly my intent to depress you, Barusu. Or rather, depressing you is
extraordinarily far down my list of priorities. I am going to wait upon Emilia-sama and return to
Roswaal-sama. I wouldn't mind if you continued ignoring me.

Subaru: That's a problem. ...Right, yeah. I sorta wanted to ask about Garfiel.

Obliging off Ram's rare and continued thoughtfulness, Subaru squeezes out his question. Ram's
eyebrows rise in surprise, breaking her apathetic expression.

Ram: Did something happen with Garf?

Subaru: Nothing right now, but might not be that way later. I'm gonna have lots of chances to
interact with him at SANCTUARY, and feels like you've known him a while so figured I'd try asking.

Ram: I see. ...I'll choose to leave it merely as that.

Says Ram as if she's seen through to Subaru's real intentions. She puts her hand to her chin.

Ram: So, what about Garf do you want to ask?

Subaru: I already know he's stupid crazy strong, but, right... what do you think'd be necessary to
get Garfiel to leave SANCTUARY?

Ram: ...That is certainly a strange subject you've chosen.

Subaru: Figured there'd be no point being roundabout. I'll leave your finding it strange as
something taken into consideration.

Unlike Emilia who he wants to hide the underside circumstances from, Subaru doesn't mind if Ram
senses some level of Subaru's secret activities. Actually if you consider that the release and exit of
the Arlam hostages has to happen, having Ram know early on that Subaru's taking action is more
convenient.

Ram: My interest and care in what you're plotting is thin, but if you're attempting to make Garf
leave SANCTUARY... Yes, it's not entirely impossible if I begged him.
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Subaru: Love's the weak point, huh. I had that idea too so I can't say anything.

Having Ram persuade Garfiel instead of Subaru would unmistakably produce effect more easily.
But Subaru remembers how Garfiel went as far as transforming into a tiger to chase Subaru and
keep him from leaving.
Garfiel's claws had stricken even his supposed love Ram, and he still pursued Subaru. Considering
it in ultimates, Garfiel placed protecting SANCTUARY as higher priority than Ram.

Subaru: But, Ram. That's probably...

Ram: Right. Likely useless.

Subaru agonizes over how to say it without sounding like he knows it, when Ram casually cuts in
and agrees with him. Ram pats her hair before the surprised Subaru.

Ram: While Garf certainly is enraptured with me, his priorities are already firmly decided. Much
as how Roswaal-sama is to me.

Subaru: Garfiel's number one is something else, too...? Do you?

Ram: I do know. But I won't tell you.

Ram averts her gaze. Subaru stares at her to press an answer, but Ram just sighs.

Ram: It is certainly conceited to one-sidedly attempt to surmise the heart of another. Garfiel's heart
belongs to Garfiel. If you wish to know, ask him directly.

Subaru: Who's the one of us here being a near-synonym for conceited. You know about Roswaal's
book?

Ram: ...Where did you hear about that?

Although convinced by Ram's logic, Subaru's rebellious spirit permits him to object. Ram's reaction
is stern as she narrows her eyes, gaze piercing through Subaru.

Ram: Depending on the course and circumstances, I may soon give you a painful experience.

Subaru: You do that and it's deviating from Roswaal's plans, yeah? Knock it off, Ram. You
shouldn't be capable of doing that.

Ram had at least never harmed Subaru in SANCTUARY. Far from it, she'd even once aided Subaru
while stating it as her own will, rather than Roswaal's instruction.
Subaru stirs her up with that experience as the basis, anticipating that she won't react physically. Her
expression sharpens, but,

Ram: Your eyes have come to be sickening, Barusu.

Subaru: Oh?
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Ram: I don't know what you saw in the tomb, but it was surely nothing good. So much so that I
wouldn't want to continue speaking with your present self.

Subaru: ...What I saw in the tomb was a kind of hope for me. Don't label it as nothing good.

Recollecting on his encounter with the white-haired witch Echidna, Subaru feels their meeting
implicitly being rejected and pouts.
The chat with Echidna invited last loop's tragedy, but it also brought Subaru a return comparable to
those overthrown drawbacks. The preciousness of having someone to tell the truth and discuss
RETURN BY DEATH with alone raked in the change.

Ram and Subaru lock eyes.

Her pupils waver slightly, perhaps harbouring something in their depths, which Subaru strains his
attention to divine. But before the image comes clear, she averts her gaze and it disperses.

Ram: Do leave now. I could not bear to make Emilia-sama wait for any longer.

Subaru: ...Sorry for holding you up. I do know what you're saying isn't wrong.

Subaru ends it by apologizing for his mouth-before-brain meanness. Ram doesn't respond, instead
turning her back to him and heading for the bedroom.
Subaru watches her disappear behind the door, gives a deep, deep sigh, and exits Lewes' house.

The outside breeze of SANCTUARY caresses Subaru's bangs, tickling his forehead. Smelling the
scent of grass on the night wind, Subaru walks through the well-darkened SANCTUARY, his
destination being his bed the cathedral.

Grass crunching beneath his feet as he continues down the road off the moonlight, Subaru's heart
scrambles on how to use his time this loop.
Having assurance that RETURN BY DEATH lacks a limit on tries, Subaru is capable of a technique
previously unavailable to himthat is, throwaway loops for the purposes of information-gathering.
If he can determine to throw away his life, then there is simply no other way to so efficiently
capitalise on RETURN BY DEATH's characteristics.

Subaru: If I can take a different approach each time, I'll probably one-by-one get ideas for plans
dealing with the obstacles I have to overcome...

Then would be tying those plans together, and carrying them all out within one loop.
Topple all the obstacles in his way, and beautifully grasp the future, everyone present, for a perfect
victory.
Although, just who would be in that perfect victory was question which addled Subaru.

Subaru:

Subaru's feet stop.

Because he smells something on the wind other than the scent of trodden grass.

He looks up. Bathed in starlight, a young man stands imposingly further up the road.
His arms crossed, spiky blond hair tousled in the wind, clicking his fangs. Garfiel.
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Subaru: Man you're a pretty timely bastard.

Garfiel: Yer sure don't look surprised. something something well strange flustered attempts to run
away make the conversation progress easily.

Subaru scratches his cheek at the appearance of the just-mentioned Garfiel, impressed. Garfiel jerks
his chin, giving Subaru some kind of signal.

Garfiel turns and starts walking ahead, stomping off the path and toward the forest.
Watching his small back leap over the knee-high grass and enter the forest, Subaru lightly stretches
up on tiptoe, then heads for the cathedral

Garfiel: That frickin' obviously meant 'follow me', oi!

Having rushed back, Garfiel yells curses at a Subaru about to leave. Subaru raises his hands,
shrugging,

Subaru: Just a cheeky joke. Not like I didn't see it, relax.

Garfiel: 'M sayin' that pisses me off. Just come on, gonna eat yer.

Subaru: Wouldn't you usually say 'I won't eat you' to make me relax here?

Garfiel starts stomping off again, not responding to Subaru. Getting a bad feeling about not being
denied where he wants to be denied, Subaru this time properly follows along.

They leave the path, enter the forest, and after proceeding a ways in Garfiel gives a snort. They've
come to a tiny little clearing between the trees. The space is about enough for four or five people to
completely encircle it. Garfiel glances back at Subaru.

Garfiel: Now... The fuck'd you see in the tomb?

Subaru: ...You too with that.

Continuing off from Emilia and Ram, here is the third questioner.
Although it's an essential condition to be careful with his responses to Garfiel, this continued
questioning is making Subaru get sick and tired of it.

Garfiel: Me too, huh?

Garfiel spits, clicking his fangs, his golden pupils narrowing.

Garfiel: Ain't givin' a crap who n' what you were speakin' with, but my amazin' self ain't just gonna
let that one slip. 'S a THE SUSPECT VELVE REFLECTS THEIR SIRES.

Subaru: Sorry, but all the happened in the tomb was that waking Emilia up took a while. Saying I
saw something's complete speculation.

Garfiel: False n' blatantly so. You think yer can completely fool people, when yer whole body's
reekin' 'a witch?
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Subaru goes silent.

Garfiel scrunches up his nose, clearly displaying hostility. Subaru gets stuck for words as he senses
something awry.

The reason Garfiel viewed Subaru with hostilitythe Witch's lingering scent.
That had been the case up until now, and from Garfiel's statement here it's again identical. But the
problem is that on this loop, his timing for stating such is strange.

After leaving the tomb, Subaru's entire body had tensed up, knowing it wouldn't be odd for Garfiel
to immediately attack.
It was just after he'd Returned by Death, and his cause of death was the cause. A lingering witch
scent as thick as it must be now surely wouldn't be anything common.

But Garfiel didn't attack. Far from it, he appeared rather sincerely relieved at his and Emilia's safe
return.
This was the befuddling attitude Subaru had seen of Garfiel all through the chat at Lewes' house, up
until Subaru watched him leave.

Garfiel had been completely normal until their parting, and now had suddenly made a complete
change several minutes later. Subaru didn't understand why.
It couldn't have been the stench was so bad it fucked his nose, and it's taken a passage of time for it
to get to a thickness where he could smell it? Probably not.

Subaru lifts his arm and gives himself a sniff, but all he gets is the smell of a day's work. Deciding
to wash himself off afterwards, Subaru cuts into Garfiel.

Subaru: I sure get plenty of people pointing out that witch's lingering scent thing.

Garfiel: ...Do yer now. Everyone up 'till now's been pretty fuckin' lenient, oi. Crap's twistin' my
nose this bad, why the hell'd they do it?

Subaru: Because they nevermind my odour and judge me by my actions. It'd be a big help if you
could do the same. I mean, you overlooked it for me after I left the tomb.

Garfiel goes silent.

Subaru: I don't have any intentions to harm Emilia of course, or you, or SANCTUARY. That much
alone I want you to believe. And if you could, it'd help if you could keep watching over me as you
have been.

Although finding them excessively convenient words, Subaru judges that since a fist isn't coming
for his face, Garfiel's still being rational. There may be a way to settle things peacefully through
conversation.
Hesitation runs through Garfiel's eyes as he watches Subaru. Besides, thinking to remove Subaru
just because of the Witch's lingering scent is not how hasty Garfiel is. It's when the stench overlaps
with some other condition that Garfiel takes action.
Subaru hasn't hit that trigger yet this loop. He needs to ascertain what the trigger is.
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Garfiel: ...Yer didn't answer my first question.

Subaru: Hm?

Garfiel: You saw somethin' inside the tomb. Whether or not my amazin' self overlooks you, 's
dependant on that answer.

The energy whittling away from his voice, Garfiel glares at Subaru as he piles up the questions.
There's two ways Subaru can answertruthfully, or falsely. He needed to confirm which choice
was correct here, but,

Subaru: Then, first let me ask you a question.

Garfiel: Don't get our standin's mixed up. I'm top, yer bottom. Yer want my fangs t' rip yer t'
shreds?

Subaru: No getting mad. Let your shoulders untense, and answer completely at ease.

Garfiel bares his fangs. Subaru gives a light shake of his shoulders and takes a breath.
His question buried in the back of the throat, Subaru gazes at Garfiel who glares back.

Now, here's a do-or-die moment.

Is how Subaru encourages himself, saying,

Subaru: I saw a girl who looks exactly like Lewes-san, would you know anything about that?